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Pontoon repair in Austin and Lake Travis
Pontoon Boat Repair in Austin, TX: Mobile Welding on Lake Travis and Lake Austin
You find out a pontoon log is leaking the hard way. The boat sits crooked on the lift, the stern rides low on the way back from Devil’s Cove, or a tube plug drains a bucket of water you didn’t know was there. Alpha Mobile Welding TX sends partner welders to Austin-area docks, lifts and driveways to repair aluminum pontoon tubes, brackets and motor pods where the boat already sits. Text a few photos and we’ll tell you what you’re looking at.
Photos of the damage speed up your estimate. Visit timing depends on partner availability.
Austin pontoon repair
What Pontoon Repair Looks Like on Austin Lakes
Austin boaters really run two different kinds of water. Lake Travis rises and falls with drought and flood, so a cove that was safe last summer can hide a limestone shelf or a dead cedar this year. Lake Austin stays at a near-constant level, but it is narrow, busy and full of wake boats, so pontoons on lifts along the Westlake and Volente shorelines take a beating from chop and from bumping the dock.
Both lakes produce the same repairs: cracked seams on the tubes, punctured nose cones, brackets torn loose where the cross members meet the logs, and cracks around the outboard mount on tritoons with big engines. Most pontoon tubes are 5052-H32 marine aluminum. Our partner welders clean the area to bright metal, weld with 5356 filler using TIG or a MIG spool gun, and test the chamber with low air pressure before the boat goes back down.
This page covers the Austin area. For the full overview of what we repair and how, see our main pontoon boat repair page, or our Austin mobile welding page for everything else around the house and dock.
- Lake Travis and Lake Austin pontoons
- Tube leaks and seam cracks
- Nose cone and keel damage
- Bracket and cross member repair
- Lift-side and driveway repairs
Common Austin damage
Pontoon Damage We See Around Austin
Hill Country lakes are beautiful, but they are hard on aluminum.
Low-water rock strikes
When Lake Travis drops, ledges, old roadbeds and rock points show up where nobody expects them. A hit at cruising speed can split a nose cone or crack a keel seam.
Lift and dock wear
Lake Austin wakes slam pontoons against dock pilings and lift bunks. Over a few seasons that rubbing wears through paint, then works on the tube skin and bracket welds.
Slow leaks in one chamber
A boat that lists or sits low at the stern after a week on the lift usually has a pinhole at a seam or a crack starting at a bracket.
Cracked cross member brackets
Hauling up steep lake-area driveways and over rough ramp transitions twists the frame. The welded brackets that hold the deck to the logs crack first.
Motor pod cracks on tritoons
Plenty of Austin tritoons run large outboards for skiing and tubing. That load shows up as cracks around the transom bracket and its welds to the tube.
Worn keels and strakes
Shallow coves, gravel beaches and ramps grind keels and lifting strakes thin. Once they wear through, the tube itself starts taking the damage.
What we repair
Mobile Pontoon Welding Services in Austin
Each repair starts with finding everything that is wrong, not just the obvious crack.
Tube leak repair
Pressure-test the chamber, mark every leak, drain the water, grind out cracks and weld with 5356 filler, then retest with soap solution.
Nose cone repair
Rewelding cracked cone seams, fitting patch plates over punctures, or replacing a cone section when the original is crushed or torn.
Bracket and cross member work
Rewelding torn tube brackets, adding gussets where the frame flexes, and replacing bent cross members under the deck.
Doubler plates
Rounded-corner aluminum doublers over thin or pitted areas, sized so stress spreads out instead of starting a new crack at the edge.
Motor pod and transom bracket repair
Crack repair and reinforcement around outboard mounts, plus a check of the welds that tie the pod to the tube.
Trailer and lift-side fixes
Pontoon trailer crossmembers, bunk brackets and tongue repairs, plus small aluminum fixes on ladders and rail mounts.
Why Alpha Welding
Why Austin Boat Owners Call Us
The point is fixing the boat where it is, without a week of hauling and waiting.
Repairs at your lift
Most tube repairs can be done with the boat raised on the lift, so you skip the ramp, the trailer and the steep driveway.
Aluminum-focused partners
Thin marine aluminum needs AC TIG or a spool gun and clean prep. That’s the equipment and the habit our partners bring.
Honest assessments
If a tube is too far gone to weld, you’ll hear that before money is spent on patches that won’t last.
Photos first
Send pictures and we can usually tell you the scope and rough approach before anyone drives out.
How it works
Getting Your Austin Pontoon Fixed
Four steps from first photo to back on the water.
Text photos
Call or text 979-250-7486 with photos and tell us whether the boat is on a lift, trailer or stands.
Estimate and scheduling
We check partner availability near you and explain the price, the prep and what to expect.
On-site repair
The partner finds the leaks, drains the chamber, cleans the metal and welds it out.
Pressure test
Low-pressure air and soapy water confirm the repair holds before the boat goes back in.
Local guide
Austin Pontoon Owner's Guide to Tube and Frame Repairs
Some practical notes for owners on Lake Travis, Lake Austin and the lakes around them, from the jobs partner welders see most.
Lake Travis water levels and your tubes
Lake Travis is a flood-control reservoir, and its level can swing many feet between wet and dry years. When the lake is down, marinas move docks, ramps close, and hazards appear in coves around Lakeway, Hudson Bend, Lago Vista and Spicewood. Most nose cone and keel damage we see on Travis happens on the first few trips after a big drop, or after a rise covers things that were dry a month earlier. If you hit something, check both front cones and the keel line before running the boat hard again. A small crack grows quickly with every bounce.
Why Lake Austin boats crack at the brackets
Lake Austin is a narrow river lake with steep banks and a lot of wake boat traffic. Waves bounce off bulkheads and come back at your dock, so a pontoon on a lift or tied to a slip gets moved around constantly. That motion loads the brackets where cross members bolt to the tubes. Over time the weld at the bracket toe cracks, and the crack can run into the tube skin. Partners grind the crack out, stop-drill the ends if it has spread, reweld, and add a gusset if the bracket design is too light for how the boat is used.
Trailering versus repairing at the dock
Trailering a 24-foot tritoon out of a Lake Austin or Lake Travis house is no small job. Many lots have steep, narrow driveways, ramps are crowded on weekends, and a shop visit can mean days of waiting plus two trips through RR 620 or FM 2222 traffic. If the boat is on a lift that raises the tubes clear of the water, most leak and bracket repairs can be done right there. The lift just needs to hold the boat steady and give the welder room to reach under the logs.
How the leak gets found
The partner seals the chamber and adds a very small amount of air pressure, usually a couple of psi, then brushes soapy water along seams, brackets, cones and the keel. Bubbles show every leak, not just the one you suspect. More pressure is not better. Too much can bulge or split a tube. Older boats often have two or three small leaks in the same chamber, and fixing only one means you are calling again next season.
What makes a weld on 5052 aluminum hold
Aluminum forms an oxide skin that melts at a much higher temperature than the metal under it, so it has to be removed with a stainless brush or grinder right before welding. Oil, sunscreen residue and moisture cause porosity, which shows up as tiny holes that leak. A good repair starts with dry, bright metal, uses argon shielding gas and 5356 filler, and gets full fusion into the base metal on both sides of the crack. The heat-affected area loses some of its hardened temper, which is why doublers or gussets are added on high-stress spots.
Repair or replace?
Cracks, pinholes, seam leaks and bracket tears are repairs. Replacement starts to make sense when a log has pitting over a wide area, thin walls in many spots, or a long crushed section from a hard grounding. If your boat is still under the builder’s warranty, ask the dealer before any outside welding, since it may affect coverage.
Before the welder shows up
- Raise the boat on the lift or put it on the trailer
- Pull the tube drain plugs so water can run out
- Tell us if the tubes are foam-filled or carry a fuel tank
- Make sure there is power at the dock, or let us know
- Check HOA or marina rules on hot work
Related welding services
Hit something on Travis?
Send photos of both nose cones and the keel line. We’ll tell you whether it’s safe to run and what the fix looks like.
Austin service area
Pontoon Repair Near Me in the Austin Area
Partner welders cover lake homes, marinas and storage lots around Austin. Availability is confirmed for each address, and marina jobs need the marina’s permission for hot work.
Lake Travis
- Lakeway and Hudson Bend
- Lago Vista and Jonestown
- Spicewood
- Point Venture
- Volente
Lake Austin and West Austin
- Austin
- Westlake
- Bee Cave
- Rollingwood
North of Austin
Nearby lakes
FAQs
Austin Pontoon Repair Questions
What Austin pontoon owners ask us most.
Can you weld my pontoon while it's on the lift on Lake Travis or Lake Austin?
Usually, yes. The tubes need to be raised clear of the water, dry and reachable from underneath. Many Austin lifts allow that. If the damage is in a spot the welder can’t reach on the lift, the boat goes on the trailer or onto stands instead.
Is there a mobile pontoon welder near me in Austin?
Alpha Mobile Welding TX coordinates partner welders who serve Austin, Lakeway, Lago Vista, Bee Cave, Cedar Park and the surrounding lake areas. Call or text 979-250-7486 with photos and your address, and we’ll confirm availability and give you an estimate.
How much does it cost to fix a leaking pontoon tube in Austin?
It depends on how many leaks there are, where they are, whether the chamber has foam or water to remove, and the travel to your lake. One pinhole costs far less than a torn nose cone. Photos let us give you a realistic estimate before scheduling.
My pontoon hit a rock in low water. Is it safe to keep using?
Look at both nose cones, the keel and the bracket welds near the impact. If you see a crack, a split seam or the boat starts listing, stop running it hard. Small cracks grow quickly with wave impact, and an early repair is cheaper than replacing a cone.
Request an estimate
Get Your Austin Pontoon Back on the Lake
Text photos of the damage and tell us where the boat sits. We’ll reply with an estimate and partner availability for your part of Austin.
- Free, no-obligation estimates
- Photos help us understand the job faster
- Same-day requests depend on partner availability